Some of the Kansas City Chiefs’ most loyal, passionate fans make up the Arrowhead Pride community, from the commenters to the writers.
The site was built on the backs of people obsessed with their favorite team. Then it takes a managing editor like John Dixon to obsess over the discussion topics, comments, and feed posts to keep readers communicating with each other.
When John was named the captain of our ship, he made his intentions clear for the role.
Joel and I are already engaged in discussions
about ways we can improve Arrowhead Pride. I promise you, however, that as we move forward, my focus will always be on making the site better — while never forgetting the community that helped make us what we are today.
If he didn’t say it himself, his amazing wife, Terri, knows it is his dream job.
That’s why it is heartbreaking to share the severity of John’s cancer, which he has been battling since taking time away from AP to fight back in January. Terri and many other members of their lovely family surround him with company every day.
In January, John successfully underwent brain surgery to remove tumors. He started receiving regular treatment, but the Stage 4 cancer has since proved to be too overwhelming for that to be worth continuing.
As of this writing, John is lying in his bed at home with family all around him. He may have just a few days left as our fearless leader, a father, husband, grandfather, mentor and friend.
Please share any memories, wishes, or other remarks below in the hope that John may be able to hear from the Arrowhead Pride community he loved dearly during this time.
On a personal note, I want to thank John for supporting my writing and believing in me from the first time he edited a blog of mine eight years ago.
I remember how much thought he put into the e-mail he sent me when one of my FanPosts was worthy of the homepage then. It gave me confidence to continue blogging, eventually being hired as a part-time contributor, and John was just as clearly supportive once we were teammates for seven years.
He even trusted me to return to the staff in the middle of last season after I quietly, reluctantly stepped away in April for personal reasons without much of a goodbye. I’m grateful he gave me a second chance.
His teaching allowed me to step up as interim site manager and editor in John’s absence, but it has been and will continue to be impossible to fill the shoes of a great man who cares about our community more than anyone outside of Joel and Chris Thorman could claim.
As a team, we appreciate your patience and understanding as a reader during a disheartening, difficult time in Arrowhead Pride’s history.
